Strange World
by Shinji Shazaki
Summary: "...let's begin...the killing time..."
1. Immediately After

Strange World

C1: Immediately After

[A/N: Thanks to Glittery Doom for all your praise.  Enjoy.]

[Disclaimer: KP and all that good stuff belongs to Disney.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

            The door creaked open, but Kim and Shego took no notice.  Dr. Possible stopped when she caught sight of her daughter and slowly backed out of the room, closing the door as quietly as she could.

            "What's the news, Dr. P?" Ron asked, "Any good stuff?"

            "Yes, Ron." Dr. Possible looked over her shoulder and smiled at the door, "It's all good."

----------

            The kiss ended and the two pulled back from each other.  Shego lay back onto the bed, smiling up at Kim.  Kim smiled back, her hands wrapping around one of Shego's.

            "There's only one downside to this." Shego muttered, "I suddenly don't have a place to stay."

            "Oh!" Kim put a hand to her mouth in shock, "Oh, man.  I'm sorry, Shego."

            "Don't worry about it, Kimmy." Shego lifted her free hand and caressed Kim's cheek, "I'll find some place around here.  Probably get something cheap, too."

            "But, Shego…" Kim protested, "You shouldn't…I mean…um…"

            Someone knocked on the door.  Kim felt relieved and annoyed at the same time.  Dr. Possible peeked her head into the room, her eyebrows raised in question.

            "Hey." Shego waved nonchalantly.

            "Mom, could Shego stay with us?" Kim asked almost too fast to understand.  Both Shego and Dr. Possible looked at Kim with a questioning stare.

            "I mean, uh, since she doesn't really have a place to stay." Kim tried to cover her eagerness to have Shego around more, "I mean, no crazy evil boss' lair, right?  Heh, heh."

            "Sure, Kimmy." Dr. Possible smiled at her eldest, "Shego can stay with us until she gets her own place."  Kim grinned and mentally shouted for victory.

----------

            It was three days before Shego was released from the hospital.  Only a lot of bandages remained of the ordeal.

            "Do you want to go home?" Kim asked as she and her girlfriend exited the hospital, "We made up a room for you."

            "Kim, I kind of need to do something by myself right now." Shego murmured softly, "Is it all right if I just meet you at the mall in a little bit?"  Kim stared at Shego for a moment, taking in everything.  Shego's left thumb rubbed over bandages on her right forearm, her green eyes clouded with thought.

            "OK." Kim nodded, "I'll meet you at the fountain in the mall."  Before she left, Kim stood on her toes and gently kissed Shego on her uncovered cheek.  The redhead hurried off to let Shego do what she needed to.  Shego watched her go, lifting a hand to her face.

            As she touched the place where Kim had kissed her, a smile came to her.  It was beautiful to be loved.

----------

            "Hello, Dr. Drakken."

            "Shego!" Drakken jumped up off the bed, running to the thick clear Plexiglas, "Where have you been?  I've been waiting for four days!"

            "I've been in the hospital." Shego replied.

            "Well, get me out of here!" Drakken shrieked through the wall.  Shego stared right back at her once 'employer'.  He stood inside a box made of Plexiglas, three feet thick on each wall.  He was in the highest security prison Middleton offered—which was very secure.

            "No." Shego replied simply.

            "What?" Drakken yelled, "You little—oh, I see.  You're trying to lull Kim Possible into a false sense of security.  Then, when she least expects it—BAM!  No more teen hero!"

            "No." Shego said again.

            "What'd you mean, 'no'?" Drakken snarled, "I order you to kill her!"

            "I don't work for you anymore." Shego shook her head, feeling the bandage wrapped around her forehead like a bandana rub against her pale skin, "I love Kim.  I'm not going to hurt her.  I'm not going to break you out of prison.  I'm going to take everything from the lair.  All the money, all my stuff, everything.  And you're going to stay here and rot for trying to hurt her."

            "SHEGO!" Drakken howled furiously.

            "Bye, Dr. D."

----------

            The abandoned lair was quiet without the sound of machines whirring to create the downfall of Kim and the rising of Drakken.  Shego slipped her arms inside the dark blue jacket given to her by the Possible family and zipped it up—it was cold inside the mountain lair.

            Cardboard boxes were plentiful.  When you had to change lairs as much as Drakken did, you had to have a lot of them.  Shego folded a few of them into box shapes and started to throw everything that was hers into them.  Clothes, books, weapons, anything she lay claim to.

            Her pace became frantic.  Everything in the lair reminded her of everything she ever did.  Every innocent person ever hurt, every object ever destroyed.

            Every time she tried to hurt Kim.

            Shego pounded her fist against the wall with a sob.  All of that chaos and destruction—her fault.  All that pain and suffering—her fault.  She didn't deserve Kim—she didn't deserve the life she was getting.

            After a moment, she sealed the boxes and shoved them to the massive garage.  Spinning tops of doom, helicopter-cars, and one single, normal motorcycle.

            It was forest-green, and the small passenger car was sitting close by it.  Shego connected it to its motorcycle counterpart and put the boxes inside.  A black helmet was hanging on one of the handlebars.  Shego looked at it, staring at the reflection that the visor gave.

            And all she could see was wicked.

----------

            Kim sat on the edge of the fountain on the bottom floor of the Middleton mall, kicking her feet back and forth while staring at them.

            "Kim?"  Kim whipped her head up and smiled widely.  She leapt up and wrapped her arms around Shego.

            "Hey!" Kim said in a cheery tone, "Everything done?"  Shego shook her head, looking rather sad.

            "What do you need to do?" the redhead asked in a confused tone.

            "Leave."

            Kim felt something inside her start to hurt.  Shego stood there, not looking at her, her poison green eyes dull with pain.

            "Why?" Kim asked in a soft voice, "Why?"

            "Kim, I don't deserve someone so good as you." Shego murmured, "I'm just an evil bitch.  You're practically an angel.  Everyone's savior.  Me?  I'm the devil."  Kim slowly shook her head, her eyes starting to sting.

            "I didn't want to hurt you anymore, so I decided to tell you I'm leaving.  It's the best thing, Kimmy."

            "NO!" Kim sobbed.  She wrapped her arms around Shego, crying into the taller woman's chest.

            "I love you, Shego." she whispered in tears, "I love you.  I don't want you to leave.  You aren't evil.  You aren't bad.  I love you so much."

            "But, Kim—"  Shego was silenced immediately as Kim stood up on her toes and kissed her.  Tears switched owners as Kim stopped hers and Shego began to sob.

            Shego fell to Kim's arms, both of them sitting down on the fountain's edge.  Kim rubbed Shego's back and stroke her hair, letting her once-enemy cry on her shoulder.

            "Oh.  My.  God."

            Kim looked up quickly and found herself staring at Bonnie.  The brunette was staring slack-jawed at Kim and Shego.  Then a gleeful grin paraded onto her face.

            "Go away, Bonnie." Kim murmured, "This isn't the best time."

            "You're a dyke!" Bonnie pointed at her fellow cheerleader, "This is so great!  You'll be an outcast in a second!  You—HGH!"

            Kim watched as a person in a hooded yellow trenchcoat lifted Bonnie clear off the ground by the collar.  Bonnie kicked and scratched at the person's arm.

            "How's this." the person said—it was the same girl that had given Kim the roses three days before, "You leave these two alone and learn to deal with differences, and I won't run your undergarments up a flagpole—while you're wearing them."  Bonnie just gulped and nodded a little bit.  The girl dropped her flat on her backside, sliding her hands into her pockets and smirking.

            "Good." she chuckled, "Now go run home."  Bonnie scrambled to get away.

            "Thank you." Kim said speechlessly.

            "Think nothing of it." the girl smirked, turning around and walking into the milling crowd.  She was gone a moment later.  Kim stared into the crowd before turning back to Shego.

            "Shego, come on." she shook the black-haired woman slightly, "Let's go home."  Shego sniffed a bit, but nodded against Kim's shoulder.

----------

            _We thought it might be a good idea if we let you get Shego settled in.  We'll be back tonight, so don't worry.  There's money on the table if you want to order out for your dinner.  Love you—Mom and Dad._

            Kim slowly put the note back down onto the table near the front door, turning to face Shego.  She still wouldn't look at Kim.  The redhead sighed a bit and lead her girlfriend to the couch in the den.  She sat the quiet woman down and hurried back outside, bringing in the four boxes Shego had packed.

            Shego was still sitting the same way Kim had pushed her into sitting.  Kim frowned slightly and sat down next to Shego.

            "Shego, look at me." she said sternly.  Shego only lifted her hands and stared at them, as if there was something wrong with them.  Kim reached out and grabbed both of them, bringing them close to her chest.  Shego finally looked up at Kim.

            "Shego, don't start beating yourself up." Kim said firmly, "After god-knows-how-long, we just told each other that we love each other, and now you want to leave?  You don't do that, Shego.  I want you to stay here.  Leaving would hurt me.  You staying would make me happy.  It would make you happy, too."

            "Kim?"

            "Yeah?"

            "I'm so screwed up."

_—to be continued—_


	2. New Home

Strange World

C2: New Home

[Disclaimer: KP and all that good stuff belongs to Disney.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

            It was snowing again in the town of Middleton.  Kim Possible held Shego tightly in her arms as the black-haired woman sobbed on her shoulder.

            _I'm so screwed up._

            The words echoed in Kim's head.  Shego couldn't feel worse about herself.  She wanted to curl up in a ball and be left alone, but she wanted Kim's comforting arms around her as well.  Kim rocked back and forth, hoping to calm and comfort Shego.

            "It's OK, Shego." Kim stroked Shego's black hair, "It's OK."  Both were lifelines to the other.  Kim was Shego's lifeline, keeping her from a descent into depression and madness.  Shego was Kim's, keeping the girl in peace by being the one person to love.

            Shego sobbed until there were no more tears left to cry.  She curled up and clung tightly to Kim, closing her eyes tightly in an attempt to not see the pain, pressing her face against Kim's stomach.  Her body and soul were sore.

            "Shego, do you want me to leave you alone so you can sleep?" Kim asked gently.  Shego only tightened her grip until her hands shook, her knuckles white.

            "I just want the pain to go away." Shego whispered, "I want it to stop hurting."

            "Shego, I don't care!" Kim insisted, "You aren't bad!  You aren't evil!  I love you, and that's all that matters to me!  And I don't care what other people say about you!  I'll never believe anyone that says bad things about you!  Not even you!"

            Shego slowly looked up at Kim and opened her eyes.  They were red from crying, but the green shone through.

            "Kimmy…" Shego whispered, "God, I love you.  You really are an angel."

            "You are too." Kim smiled, "You just don't think it."  Shego finally smiled.

----------

            A tour of the Possible house was underway.  Shego followed behind Kim as she explained the habits of her family, where to find things, etc.  There was only one room in the entire house that didn't look like it had been personalized.  That was because Shego hadn't done anything to it yet.  It was a room close to the stairs up to Kim's room, painted in dark blue.  It was a very normal looking room.

            Shego smiled at it.  It was homey.

            They climbed the stairs up to Kim's room.  There was silence as they stood at the top of the stairs, just looking around the room.  It was the typical teenager.  Pictures of friends, cheerleading competitions, and a few movie stars were up on the walls.  Kim muttered something about taking down the movie stars whilst she blushed.

            Red turned to crimson on Kim's face when Shego wrapped her arms around the girl, just beneath her breasts.  Shego swayed from side to side, her cheek resting on Kim's red hair.

            Kim heard a faint hum come from Shego.  It was a peaceful tune, something that made the blush go away and Kim's hands go to Shego's.  Shego stopped moving, just holding Kim.

            "What to do now?" Shego murmured into Kim's ear.  Kim flushed red again.

            "Shego, you're hurt." Kim protested, "We shouldn't."  Shego laughed aloud, nudging Kim's head.

            "I didn't mean that." she laughed, "My, aren't you the horny one?"  Kim turned around to lightly hit Shego, but Shego caught her hand in turn.  They stared for a moment, and then leaned together to kiss.

            "So what do you want to do?" Kim asked when they ended the kiss.

----------

            It was a bit past midnight when Mr. and Dr. Possible entered their house, Jim and Tim asleep in their arms.  They looked about for a bit and found Kim and Shego in the den.

            The two had fallen asleep on the floor beneath a blanket, Kim using Shego as a pillow.  A half-empty pizza box was sitting on the coffee table.

            "Sweet young love." Mr. Possible remarked to his wife as they went to put their boys to bed.

_—to be continued—_


	3. Odd Friends

Strange World

C3: Odd Friends

[Disclaimer: KP and all that good stuff belongs to Disney.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

            Christmas was nearing.  It was December 15th, and the Middleton mall was crowded with shoppers.

            Shego and Kim sat at their favorite place in the mall, bags at their feet.  Kim was the one had most of the bags—secret shopping for friends and family.  It was finally a good, peaceful day.  Shego was dealing well with her new life, and Kim was unbelievably happy with it.

            "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"  Of course _that _couldn't last.

            Everyone screamed and fell to the floor.  Men wearing black and toting very large guns were the only ones standing.  Before anything could happen, Shego jumped up and at one of the men.  But injury slowed Shego's reflexes.  The man responded quickly with a sharp blow to the stomach with the butt of his gun.  Shego fell back to the ground, gritting her teeth in pain.

            "Where is Tao Psymon?" the leader shouted to the entirety of the mall.  He was met with silence.

            "Where is she?!" the man shouted again.

            "I'm eating, you idiot." came a shout from the second floor.

            "We found her!"  Something was grabbed, and then thrown over the railing to the ground floor.  The thing twisted and landed on feet—it was the girl again.  She was standing there without expression, eating nachos from a large "Bueno Nacho" box.

            "Hello, Tao." the leader strode over to the girl.  The girl looked up slowly, blinking once.  She looked back to her food.

            "Do I know you?" she questioned.

            "Probably not, but I know you."

            Kim flipped forwards and between the man and the girl.  She kicked the man in the jaw and pushed the girl back, hoping she would get the idea to run.

            "Not one more step!" another man shouted.  Kim looked up and froze.  Shego was staring down the business end of a rifle, the man's foot pinning her down.

            "Get lost, hero girl!" the man put the gun closer to Shego's head.  Kim raised her hands in defeat.  The girl raised an eyebrow and sighed.

            "Hold these, would you?" she handed the nachos to Kim.  She vanished suddenly, trash flying up as if a wind had passed by.  The man who was aiming point blank at Shego was flying into a wall.  The girl stood where he had been, her foot outstretched as if she had kicked him.

            There was silence, and then anarchy.  Kim dropped to the floor, dodging laser fire as the men shot at the girl.  The girl responded by jumping onto a support pillar and climbing up the slick marble surface in a spiral—they couldn't hit her.  Once at the fourth at highest floor, she jumped off and disappeared into the riot.

            Shouts of pain and warning came from the fourth floor, and then fell silent.  A yellow blur flew onto the third floor.  More yelling, more silence.  Laser fire at the railings to stop her from moving any further.  However, she was found hanging on the edge of the third floor's ceiling before jumping to the second floor.  The second floor was silent.

            Again, the railings and ceiling were shot at.  Kim looked towards Shego, hoping she was still all right.  The girl was crouched by Shego, pulling her yellow trenchcoat over the black-haired woman.  The girl smirked and put a finger to her lips for silence.  Kim nodded.

            Leaves in the large tree that grew in the middle of the mall rustled.  The girl had vanished.  The men started shooting at the tree, missing everything but the leaves.  They gathered round it, firing nonstop.

            A silver length lashed out with the speed of a cobra and grabbed one of the men's guns.  It happened twice more, and then the silver thing hit the men hard in the neck.  They collapsed, unconscious.  Soon, only the leader was left.  His chin was red from Kim's kick, and he was mad.

            "Come out and fight, you little coward!" he yelled.

            "Said the man who has to have fifty men to back him up ." the girl was sitting on the topmost branch of the tree, looking rather smug, "Can I go back to my lunch now?"  The man started firing his gun.  The girl jumped up and fell back to the tree, swinging on the limbs like a monkey.  But her hands were completely free.  The man fired at the place she would end up swinging to, but the girl responded by flying out of the tree and landing on him.

            "Go away, please." the girl said.  The man yelled and swiped at her with a knife he had in a pocket.  The girl jumped off him and landed on the ground, lifting her hands and waved her fingers towards herself.  The man took the challenge, swinging and slashing furiously.  He missed each time, the girl countering each move and hitting the man hard.  The man spun her around and stabbed at her back.

            Kim gasped in fear.  But the knife didn't hit.  The girl turned back around slowly, jerking her hips to the side hard.  The knife was pulled from the man's hand.

            A silver tail wagged slowly, the knife glinting brightly in its grasp.  The girl stood with her hands on her waist, smirking.

            "Are you giving up now?" she asked, her sharp, sharp fangs also gleaming, "Or do I have to hit you?"  He rushed, his fist raised in rage.  The girl hopped up at least three feet and kicked the man soundly in the face.  He was unconscious.

            The girl smirked again and turned away.  Her tail flicked and the knife was embedded in the floor near the man.  Kim stared up at the girl.  The girl simply sat down, plucked her nachos out of Kim's hands, and started eating again.

            "Who—what are you?" Kim started to scoot away from the be-tailed girl.

            "I'm hungry, that's what." the girl replied.

            "I mean, who are you?" Kim asked again, "What's your name?  Why do you have a tail?"

            "My name is Tao Psymon." the girl seemed a bit irritated that Kim was bothering her while she was eating, "You'd know that if you had heard those morons.  And I have a tail because my mother decided it would be useful."

            Blink.  "What?"

----------

            "Hey, Mom!  I'm back!  We have visitors!"

            Kim blinked in confused.  Shego looked around with a raised eyebrow.

            "This place looks like one of Drakken's lairs." the black-haired woman muttered quietly.

            "My mother isn't an evil scientist." Tao turned around and smiled at Shego, "She's just a really good biogeneticist."  Kim's jaw dropped.

            "I'm out of here!" Kim started towards the door, "I am _not_ dealing with another DN-Amy!"  Shego blinked at her girlfriend, tilting her head to the side slightly.

            "Is that the crazy woman obsessed with Cuddle Buddies?" Tao questioned, "Must be.  She's the only biogeneticist on your site."

            Kim slapped her forehead and sighed—she had forgotten that her website had villain files.  It seemed Tao Psymon knew quite a bit about what had been going on with Middleton's population.

            "So, who's your mom?" Shego asked.

            "My mother's name is Ion Psymon." Tao replied, "Come on, she's probably working too hard to hear me."  A howl echoed through the large house.  Kim and Shego both jumped back.

            A large gray dog bounded around a corner near the doorway, jumping onto Tao and licking her face with vigor.

            "Lobo, get off!" Tao shoved at the large dog, "Come on, you big goof!  Get off!"  It slowly got off and stood at Tao's side.

            "That's a big dog." Kim sighed, "What type is he?"

            "Gray wolf."

            "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Shego screamed at the top of her lungs, running and hiding behind Kim, "WOLF!"

            "Shego, chill." Kim couldn't help but snicker, "I don't think he's mean.  Is he?"

            "He's only mean when I say to be mean." Tao scratched the wolf behind his ears, "Lobo.  Go."  She pointed at Shego.  Shego shrieked again and backed up as much as she could—which was about one step.

            The wolf slowly padded by Kim and hopped onto Shego.  Shego covered her face, cringing.  Lobo just licked Shego.

            "Good Lobo!" Tao smiled, "Now go get Mom."  The wolf barked and ran off down the hall.  Shego laid on the floor, stiff as a board, her eyes wide.

            "Did you know that would happen?" Kim pulled Shego to her feet, glaring at Tao.

            "No." Tao shrugged, "I thought it would make her feel better."

            Nothing else was said before there was a clicking of nails on wood floor and footsteps.  Lobo was walking back, a tall woman following close behind.  She was wearing baggy brown shorts and a red tank top.  Her hair was rumpled, short, and brown.  Pince-nez were perched on her nose in front of black eyes—the same as Tao's eyes.

            "Hello." she lifted her glasses from her nose and rubbed her eyes, "You must be Kim Possible and Shego."

            "How'd you know that?" Kim asked.

            "Well, everybody knows that you are Kim Possible." the woman said, holding one elbow and pointed at Kim with her free hand, twisting it palm up, "And Tao told me about you, Shego.  So why did Tao bring you here?"

            "Uh, someone was shooting at her with big laser things, that's why." Shego replied, "And we asked about her tail."

            Tao's mother looked at her daughter questioningly.  Tao looked right back.

            "Mom, who do you think they were?" Tao asked.  Her mother just shook her head in reply—no thoughts.

            "Wade?" Kim pulled out her 'Kimmunicator', "Can you check newsgroups to see if any kind of people are talking about spliced humans?  Please and thank you!"

            "I'm on it!" Wade gave a thumbs-up before starting to search.  Kim looked up and put the essential tool into her pocket.  Her eyes bugged out.  Shego was kneeling down, scratching the wolf's stomach and laughing.

            "Uh, Shego?" Kim questioned, "What…uh…why…  Oh, never mind."

_—to be continued—_


	4. Double Lost

Strange World

C4: Double Lost

[Disclaimer: KP and all that good stuff belongs to Disney.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

            The day was new.  Kim slowly opened her eyes and stretched beneath the covers.  It was still the long winter break.  The heroine felt hungry, so she pulled herself from the covers.

            In the time that Shego had been at the Possible home, Kim had memorized her routines.  Shego would wake early and practice her modified Tai Chi Chi Gung.  She would repeat the form until she heard someone else that was awake.

            Kim walked as quietly as she could to Shego's room.  The bed was empty and the sheets rumpled, as they usually were in the morning.  Kim's mother or father must have been up already.

            The kitchen was empty.  The den was empty.  Her parents and her brothers were still asleep.  Something was very, very wrong.  She hurried outside, but Shego's bike was still there.

            "Wade!" she pulled out her Kimmunicator, "Where's Shego?"

            "Kim, it's eight in the morning." Wade rubbed his eyes, "Why are up so early?"

            "It's eight!" Kim said angrily, "That's not early!  Tell me where Shego is!"

            "Isn't she at your house?"

            "That's why I'm asking you to find her!"

            "OK, OK!" Wade tried to calm his friend, "Chill, Kim!  I'll find her, OK?"

            "OK." Kim looked around, hoping to see Shego, "I'll go look around.  Maybe she took a walk."

----------

            But Shego wasn't in town.  She wasn't at the mall.  Monique hadn't seen her at Club Banana.  Kim was starting to walk faster, soon breaking out in a worried jog.  She glanced every which way in the quiet town.  It was still too early for most holiday enjoyers, and the streets were empty.

            "DAM—"  Something skidded by Kim's feet and crashed right into a nearby wall.  Kim looked towards the thing and saw Tao Psymon, upside down against the wall, groaning.

            "—mit." the genetically altered girl finished her curse.  She fell from her back and feet on the wall to flat on her face.

            "Tao?" Kim blinked, "Where did you come from?"

            "I was running." Tao stood up, dusting snow off her shoulders with her tail.  She whistled loudly and her huge gray wolf, Lobo, came bounding through the snow.

            "Why on earth are you running?" Kim asked, scratching Lobo behind the ears, "The only time I ever see you out is when you're eating nachos from Bueno Nacho."

            "I'm looking for my mother!" Tao seemed at the end of a rope, "I can't find her, and Lobo can't get her scent!"

            "Wait." Kim's eyes opened wide, "Did your mother leave a note or something?"

            "I think she's been kidnapped." Tao bit a sharp claw in worry, "And I don't know who would do such a thing."

            "Shego's gone too!"

            "And you can't find her at all?"

            "No…and I'm really worried."

            Tao sighed and combed her hair with her fingers.  Lobo whined and shoved his nose under Tao's arm.

            "Let's go to the mall." the silver-haired girl muttered, "Get on Lobo's back."

            "Why?" Kim asked.

            "Because I run as fast as a car on a highway.  And Lobo is the only one who can even keep up with me."

            "Let me guess: cheetah stuff?"

            "Let's just go."

----------

            The mall was crowded, as usual.  Lobo remained outside, hidden in a snowdrift.  Tao walked swiftly through the crowd towards the spot that had been recently inhabited by the men that had tried to kill her.  The only thing that remained of the attack was a divot in the floor from the knife.

            "Hey, I thought it was Lobo who could get scents." Kim found Tao crouched at the divot, sniffing at the air.

            "No…" Tao didn't answer Kim, but was muttering to herself, "I think I have it…"

            All the lights exploded.  Chaos erupted.  Warning recordings blared in the speakers.  Kim was being pushed with the flow of the crowd until something wrapped around her waist and kept her still.

            Everyone had escaped the mall that had wanted to escape.  The dim emergency lights that were embedded in places that couldn't be overloaded turned on.  Tao was standing still, her muscles tense.  Her hair seemed to stand on end, and her teeth were clenched.

            "Hello." a boy the same age as the girls stood before them.  He looked frighteningly like Tao.  His hair was silver and swept back in jagged spikes.  His eyes were black.  He wore simple clothes of a tight red tank top and loose brown pants.  His fingers were clawed, sharpened purposely.  His feet were bare and clawed.  A silver tail slowly wrapped around his legs randomly.

            "Who are you?" Tao growled, her hands curling tight and shaking.

            "My name is Tomas." the boy said, his expression very calm, almost happy, "And you are Tao Psymon and Kim Possible, right?"

            "Where is my mother?" Tao's voice was taking on a vicious edge.  She was getting very mad.

            "I see that you would do anything for your mother." Tomas smiled at Tao, "My father says he would do the same."

            "WHERE IS SHE?!" Tao lunged in a rage at Tomas.  Tomas dodged and tripped Tao.  The girl dug her claws into the ground, flexing her feet and shredding her shoes to reveal her clawed toes.  She skidded to a stop, looking like an angry wildcat.

            "You!" Kim said, "You kidnapped Shego, didn't you?"

            "And you would do anything for Shego." Tomas smirked at Kim, snickering slightly.  He started to walk towards Kim, his expression growing dark.  "I've come to make sure you do no more."

            "No more what?"  Kim started to walk backwards.  Tomas was the same as Tao.  And from what Kim knew about Tao, she didn't want to fight Tomas.

            "No more anything."

            A feral scream came out of Tao.  She leapt onto Tomas and sank her claws into his chest and stomach, biting his shoulder angrily.  Tomas snarled and jumped up, aiming to land on his back.  He landed firmly on Tao with a bang.  Tao didn't let go.  Tomas grinned, reached up, and grabbed Tao by the head.  Blue electricity crackled around his hands, and then surrounded Tao.  The girl let go of him, howling in pain.  She didn't get back up.

            "Tao!" Kim rushed over and knelt next to the still girl, "What did you do to her?"

            "Nothing compared to what's going to happen to you."

----------

            _Lick, lick, lick._

            Tao coughed and opened her eyes.  Lobo had snuck into the mall when Tao and Kim hadn't returned.  He was licking her face, trying to get her to wake up.

            "Lobo, where's Kim?" Tao slowly sat up.  Electric burns scorched her skin.  Lobo whined sadly.  Tao stopped trying to get up and lay back down.  Lobo lay down on the injured girl, hoping to make her feel better.

            "No way I can do this on my own." Tao murmured softly, "I don't know any other people to help.  And he's got that gene…  God, I'm in such deep crud."

            Lobo licked her face gently, nuzzling his head against her cheek.

            "Who do I know?  I'm hungry.  I wonder if a Bueno Nacho is open somewhere…"

            A small light went on behind Tao's black eyes.  She grinned.

----------

            Ron Stoppable slowly walked to the door.  He had been napping with Rufus in front of the TV, watching Steel-Toe and Pain King defeat their many enemies.

            "Oh, hi Tao." he said in a bit of shock, "What's up?  Hey, Lobo?  How you doing wolf-man?"  He had met Lobo outside of Bueno Nacho on a random naco run.

            "Ron, get ready to help be the hero."

_—to be continued—_


	5. Forced Remember

Strange World

C5: Forced Remember

[Disclaimer: KP and all that good stuff is owned by Disney.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

            Ron struggled to keep his grip on Lobo.  He squealed as the wolf ran faster to keep up to Tao.

            "Where are we going?" Ron shouted over the wind.

            "Tomas' scent is _really_ strong." Tao replied, "I could find him anywhere now."

            "So where are we going?" Ron shouted again.

            "To where Tomas took everyone else!"

            "Oh!  OK!"

            Tao ran even faster, making Ron bow his head against the wind as Lobo ran faster to keep up.  She felt the snowfall increase and sting against her cheeks.  She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to ignore a twitching in the back of her neck.

            Being spliced with animals had its benefits.  Extreme fitness, strength, speed, and anything else the animal's genes gave was good to have.  Energy drain was fast though.  That was why she ate such foods: the fast energy and cheap prices.  The other problem was that her body and mind worked in the ways of animals more than humans.  Love was fickle in humans, and even more fickle in animals.

            And somehow, Tomas was appealing to her.

----------

            Tomas stared as Kim Possible was hurled into a hold tank with Shego.  Ion Psymon sat in a tank next to them, her hands on her head.  She wasn't moving.  Shego hurried to Kim and gathered the unconscious girl to her.  The black-haired woman hadn't been able to see anything except the blinding white cylindrical walls of the tank.  A small hatch had opened, and Kim thrown inside.

            Shego nearly started to cry.  Kim looked injured.  She wasn't moving.  She wasn't awake.  Kim was the only thing Shego had to hold on to.

            Tomas stood on a catwalk, staring into the one-way mirror of the tanks.  He stared at Kim and Shego.  Love was odd, he thought, between humans.  There had to be some sort of dependence.  He didn't feel that way about anything.  Loyalty and devotion was his.  He was loyal to his father.  He turned to look at Ion Psymon.  His father had told him that it was Ion's experiments and theorems that had helped create him.  However, he didn't feel any kind of affection towards Ion.

            His pointed ear twitched.  Ion was standing now, screaming at the top of her lungs.  No one could hear what she was saying: the tanks were soundproof.  Her eyes were filled with malice.  She was just screaming at the men that had captured her and that were trying to hurt her Tao.

            Tomas read her lips carefully.  She was angry, as well as scared, and near crying.  She ran to the wall and rammed it with her shoulder, pounding at it with her fists.  Ion pounded the wall until she had no more energy to spare.  She collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

            Tomas had no affection for Ion, but he felt sorry that this had to be done.   Tao had to be gotten rid of, or she had to help in his father's experiments.  Tomas turned away from Ion, leaning against the catwalk.  Tao…somehow appealing.  Animal interest, but that gave way to something else.  Interest lead to stirrings of the heart.  And Tomas didn't like that.

            He breathed deeply.  He froze.  A scent hung in the air.  Tao.

----------

            Tao gripped the bars tightly and put one foot on the wall.  She pulled at the bars, her arms tensing.  A moment's pause, and the bars came off in Tao's hands.  A small window was revealed.  It was just big enough for Ron to get through.

            "Come on." Tao hooked her hands together to give Ron a stair.  The blonde boy stepped up and squeezed through the window.  He turned around and extended a hand to Tao.  She shook her head.

            "No." Tao murmured, "You find Kim, Shego, and my mother.  I'm the distraction.  They're after me.  They did this for bait.  Get.  Everyone.  OUT."

            Ron nodded, but nervously.  He crawled away and vanished from sight.  Tao looked at Lobo once and the wolf hurried off to hide.  Tao ran around the building and found a padlocked door.  She grabbed the lock and tore the lock and chain off.  The door creaked open.  Tao's tail tensed.  It felt bad.  Like a trap.  Fluorescent lights shone on the stone floor.  Tao reached out with a foot and tapped the floor with a claw.

            Nothing happened.  She lay her foot down.  Nothing.  Tao walked into the hallway and closed the door behind her.  It was silent in the hall except for the slight tapping of her claws.  Tao started to run, being completely silent.  She hated the silence, but it was better.

            A scream came from the dark shadows.  Tao glanced up and was instantly tackled by Tomas.  The two tumbled on the floor, slashing at each other with their claws.  Tao managed to roll on top of Tomas and grabbed for his throat.  Tomas kicked Tao in the stomach, launching her into the air.  She twisted and landed on her feet, snarling angrily.

            "You shouldn't try to fight me, Tao." Tomas seemed to grin, "I know everything there is to know about you."

            "You know _nothing!_" Tao growled, "Where are you keeping my mother?"

            "Nowhere in particular." Tomas started to hop backwards, a grin spreading on his face.  Tao, enraged, leapt at Tomas.  He threw a vial at her, and then flipped back a few more feet.  She smashed the vial with one swipe of her hand.

            "Was that supposed to do something?" Tao clenched her hands tight, her eyes angry.  But the hand that had smashed the vial was wet.  She looked at it.

            Her hand was covered in red.  Her black eyes widened.  The scent of blood, not her own, wafted in the air.  Her eyes widened even more.  She held her hand away from her, as though she didn't want to have her hand anymore.

            "Hate the sight of blood, don't you?" Tomas ran circles around Tao, hissing in her ears, "You hate seeing it on your hands.  That's because it reminds you of thirteen years ago, doesn't it?"  He pulled another vial from his pocket and poured more blood onto Tao's other hand.  Tao held both hands away from her now, her lip twitching.

            "When you killed someone." Tomas said in a softer voice, stopping his run and standing behind Tao.  He reached around her and took her by the forearm, lifting her hands up towards her face.  Tao tried to move back and away, but ended up leaning into Tomas.  He forced her arms up easily; Tao was paralyzed with terror.  He made her touch her face with her blood-covered hands.  Tao started to shake terribly.

            "That's why you haven't used your electric eel gene for thirteen years." Tomas would have been gentle, if his voice hadn't been hard as steel, "You didn't want to see anymore blood on your hands."  He let her hands go away from her face.  On an impulse, it seemed, he kissed her cheek.  Tao went limp.  Tomas grinned.  That's what he wanted.

----------

            Shego and Kim were dragged outside their tank.  Once their eyes were used to the dim light, they saw that Tao's mother, Ion, was being shoved alongside them.  The men that were poking guns in their backs were the same men that had attacked Tao many days before.  Kim and Shego were helpless in their shackles; whoever was behind this knew that Kim and Shego would escape from chains just on their wrists.  They locked chains around their arms and shackled their ankles.

            "Welcome, my dear friends, to the beginning of my greatest experiment."  Ion stopped walking for a minute.  Her eyes widened.  The man behind her shoved her forwards.  The three women were led into a huge room.

            A catwalk surrounded the perimeter of the room.  The women stood there, not knowing what to think.  The catwalk hung above the floor of the room, which was filled with water to almost right beneath their feet.  Something hung from the high ceiling, covered by a large sheet.  A platform extended over the water to float by the thing hanging from the ceiling.  A man and Tomas stood there.

            "Ion!" the man called, "How are you, my old friend?  I haven't seen you in seventeen years."

            "Sean…" Ion whispered.  She stared at the man.

            "Yes, hello, Ion." The man, Sean, chuckled, "Isn't it nice to have a reunion?"

            "Why are you doing this?" Ion shouted, "Why are you after Tao?"

            "I need her for experiments."

            "What experiments?" Shego asked, "I've seen the kind of experiments evil scientists do."

            "Now who said I was evil?" Sean asked, "Tomas, if you would."  Tomas whipped the sheet off the thing hanging from the ceiling.  It was Tao.  A weight was shackled to her tail and her wrists were tied to the ceiling.  Her hands were covered in drying blood.  Her eyes were blank and staring off into space.

            Ion suddenly tried to run forwards.  The men behind her grabbed her roughly and held her back.

            "HOW DARE YOU!" Ion screamed, "LET HER GO!"

            "What kind of sick experiment are you going to do?" Kim growled, "How much weight her tail can take?"

            "How long she can stay underwater." Sean smiled darkly.  Tomas slashed through the rope.  Tao fell into the water and sank without moving.

            "NO!" Ion tried to jump after her daughter.  The men restrained her and started to drag all of the women away.  "TAO!"

----------

            Ion sprang up immediately when the three women where thrown into a large holding tank together.  She ran to where the hatch faded and pounded her fists against it to no avail.

            "So what's wrong?" Shego let Kim sit in her lap and bury her face in her chest, "Can't Tao just break those chains or something?"

            "She can't." Ion murmured, pacing in complete hopelessness, "She can't.  She's in shock.  She can't swim."

            "So you're telling me that Tao Psymon, the big animal-spliced kid that can run like a cheetah and climb like a monkey _can't swim?_" Shego stared on in disbelief.  Ion nodded nervously.  Shego just started to hold Kim tighter.

----------

            Tomas stared down through the water.  It was become slightly murky and red from the blood on Tao's hands and face.  Tao wasn't moving, staring at nothing.  He wasn't sure if she was drowning.

            "Father, we _are_ going to get Tao out of there before she _does_ drown, right?" he turned to his father, Sean Green, "We need her for more experiments."

            "No, not before." Dr. Green frowned at Tao, "We will just use her body to see what kind of effects that time may have on you later on."

            "Father!" Tomas blinked in shock, "You can't be serious!  We can't kill her!"

            "If I want to kill her, I will kill her." Green snarled, "I will create an army of spliced creatures, and I will be the ruler because I have the knowledge."

            "You never created anything!" Tomas' vision of his 'father' was fading away to pure hatred, "You stole Dr. Psymon's ideas!  You stole ME!  And now you expect ME to kill?"

            "You will do as I say." Green grabbed Tomas by the throat, "I created you.  I can kill you just as easy."

            "You never created me." Tomas growled, "So you can't destroy me.  But I'll destroy you."  And with that, he jumped from the platform, dragging Dr. Green with him.

_—to be continued—_


	6. Killing Time

Strange World

C6: Killing Time

[Disclaimer: Disney owns KP and all that good stuff.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

            _Let's begin…the killing time…_

            Tao never blinked as she thought back thirteen years.    The same men as now had taken her away…she had used all the pent-up electric energy in her body…a man had died…his blood was on her hands and face…she knew what blood was.

            It was getting harder to breathe and to keep those memories clear.  Tao didn't know why that was.  There was a pain in her tail, and she didn't know why.  Her eyes stung, and she didn't know why.  All she knew was that she didn't know.

----------

            Tomas clawed Sean Green's throat open and the man was killed instantly.  The blood spilled into the water and clouded it.  Tomas ripped the keys from the dead man's belt and swam to Tao.  She was turning blue.  He unlocked the weight and pulled Tao up to the surface with him.

            "Come on, Tao, breathe!" he gasped when he managed to pull both of them out of the water, "Don't make me hurt you like this!"  He pressed on her chest and breathed into her mouth.  He pressed on her chest again and she coughed out the water.  But she still didn't respond to anything.

            An alert went off in the distance.  The power was cut to everything in the building.  Tomas gave one look to Tao—she wasn't going to go anywhere—and then started to run.

            Someone was trying to open the holding tank for Shego, Kim, and Ion.  They didn't know any of the codes, and now they shut everything off.  The women would be dead before the power could be restored.

            Tomas ran to the holding room and looked around.  The men were looking around for their problem.  In a fit of rage, he rushed at all the soldiers and knocked all of them out.

            "What are you doing?" he roared at the boy who was standing at the controls.  The blonde boy was nervous and trying to get the women out.  He was Ron, Tomas recognized him.

            "I just wanted to get Kim and Shego and Dr. Psymon out of there!" Ron said in a scared voice, "What did I do?"

            "You cut off all the power!" Tomas looked over the completely dark controls, "All the life support in the tank is gone!  We'll never get the power back in time!"

----------

            _Are you heartless?_

            Yes.

            _Why is that?_

            Because I killed someone.

            _Wasn't he going to kill you?_

            So?  I killed him.

            _Are you a normal person?_

            Does that matter when you kill?

            _Yes.  Instinct.  Everything is instinct.  Even in normal people.  Kill or be killed.  You have to stay alive._

            No one gets to kill!  Especially not a child!

            _It was an accident.  You never meant to hurt him.  It was instinct.  Would you have liked it if your mother had to deal with you being dead?_

            Well…no…but…

            _But nothing.  Any person that tries to hurt someone can be hurt right back.  Even human law condones it.  Self-defense.  You can't let people hurt you.  Protect yourself.  Protect the ones you love.  Don't let anyone get hurt…unless they try to hurt others._

            …yeah.

            Tao blinked and woke up with a gasp.

----------

            Tomas pounded at the controls.  His pace became frantic.  He wanted the tank to open.  The power was completely out.

            "I can't do anything!" he said in total terror, "Ron, see if you can't—HHK!"  Large hands on long arms wrapped around Tomas' neck.  He was lifted clear off the ground and a gun barrel pointed to his head.  Ron was being held by one arm off the ground.  More men had found them.

            "We've wanted to do this for a long time, kid." the man pointing the gun grinned evilly.

            Now that the tank had no power, the light that had blinded the women before had gone out.  The tank silenced them, but they were shouting for the men not to hurt him.  Bullets ricocheted off the hard tank and they stopped.  The man went back to aiming at Tomas.

            "Bye-bye."

            Tomas closed his eyes.  Something rang out like a shot.  But he was all right.  One man was unconscious and had dropped his gun.  A small silver blaze went around their legs, led by another silver blaze.  One by one the men fell.  Soon, the only man left was the one holding Tomas by the neck.  He threw the boy away, facing the two blazing silver spots in the darkness.  A harsh hiss came from the darkness rang out.  Silver eyebrows knitted angrily.

            It was the same man that had attacked Tao in the mall days ago.

            "So it's you again." he said with a sneer, "Now I get to pay you back for all the pain you caused me.  I get to kill the great Tao."

            "You'd sooner kill a goldfish than me." Tao hissed, "Now let them go!"

            "No can do, kid." the man grinned, pulling out the knife from days ago, "Power's gone.  Now fight me!"

            He slashed wildly with his knife.  Tao dodged and ran over to the tank.  She clawed at the thick material, but to no avail.  The knife slashed again and cut at the top of her back.  Tao jumped and climbed up the tank, feeling blood drip down her back.  It stung to breath.  The man grabbed a gun from the ground and fired at Tao.

            Tomas tried to pull the gun from the man, but he yanked it free and cracked the butt against Tomas' head.  He fired at Tao again, but she was gone.

            "Come out wherever you are!" he shouted, "I'll kill the brats if you don't get out here!"  He aimed threateningly at Tomas and Ron.  He suddenly jerked forwards and twitched.  He dropped to the ground, not moving.  Tao crouched down and wiped her hand clean of blood.  The man was dead.

            "Tomas, tell me how to get them out." she pulled Tomas and Ron to their feet, "They can't breathe."

            "We don't have any power." Ron started poking at the buttons randomly, "Try smashing it!"

            "We'll never get through it in time for them to breathe!" Tomas replied, "I don't know what to do!"

            Tao, however, walked over to the main power cable.  She cut it with a single swipe and grabbed both ends.  She ripped them from the wall and grabbed the exposed wire.

            "Tomas, you know what button to push to open the tank, right?" she asked.  Tomas nodded.  "Well, push it."

            "We don't have any power." Tomas went over to the panel.

            "We will." Tao gripped the wires tight, "I'm going to make power."

            "Tao, no way!" Tomas protested, "You can't make that much electricity!"

            "Thirteen years is enough time to make enough anything."

            And with that, she let the electricity flow.  Everything charged in the room.  The lights came to life, and the panel lit up.  Tomas mashed the open button.  The hatch opened slowly and the women rushed to get out.  Everything stopped for a moment.  Tomas looked to Tao.

            Blue electricity crackled around her, but she looked hurt.  The moment Tomas moved forwards, she clenched her teeth and forced more energy through the wires.  The hatch opened more and Kim, Shego, and Ion got out.

            "Tao, come on!" Kim shouted at her friend, "We've got to go!"

            "I can't!" Tao replied, "Go!  Now!  Everything's overloading!"

            "Tao, no!" Tomas tried to run to her.  The lights began to explode, and Ron tugged at everyone to run.  Shego grabbed Tomas round the waist and ran.  Tao vanished as they left the room.

----------

            Tomas escaped from Shego's grasp only when she let him.  He fell to his knees, struggling to get back to the building.  The lights were all out.  An explosion occurred, swallowing the building.

            "**_TAO_**!"

            Ion and Tomas screamed aloud.  Tomas stood on in horror, and Ion simply collapsed, sobbing.  Lobo came out of his hiding place and stood beside Ion, whining softly.  He didn't see his girl.

            Kim and Shego held each other tight.  Ron sat down and cuddled Rufus.  For a long few moments, there was silence.  There was a loud crunch of snow.  They all whipped around and saw something steaming in the snow.

            Tomas walked towards it.  It was a slightly burnt, not moving, and, to Tomas, not breathing Tao.  Blood came from her mouth and nose, as it would a dead person.

            "Oh, Tao." Tomas shut off all his senses except sight, touch, and hearing to Tao.  He knelt down and lifted her limp body to him, hugging her gently.  "I didn't want you to get hurt.  I didn't want anyone to die."

            "…well…that's a…good thing…"

            Tomas looked at Tao.  One eye was cracked open slightly, and she was alive.

            "Tao?  Tao!"

            "…yeah…that hurt…"

            Tomas kissed her gently.

----------

            Shego's face was a bit flushed from the champagne.  She danced around with Kim, dragging the younger girl around the room and laughing wildly.  Jim and Tim blasted their noisemakers, and the adult Possibles laughed in glee with everyone else.  Ron and Rufus were downing major snackage.  Ion Psymon was conducting the wolf Lobo, her tuxedo cat Solomon, and her orange and white dog Ein in singing a rather harmonious version of the New Year's song that I don't know the name of.

            Standing outside, Tao and Tomas watched the snowfall.  A blast of sound came from the doorway, and then Shego and Kim stumbled out the door.

            "She needs air." Kim giggled at her drunken girlfriend, "Really badly."

            "Happy New Year!" Shego giggled madly, leaning on Kim.  She kissed Kim hard before falling backwards into the snow, dragging Kim with her.

            Tomas and Tao laughed for a moment, and then turned back to the snow.  Their tails intertwined slightly, and they took each other's hands.

_—end—_


End file.
